


Renascentia

by Perr1n



Category: Annihilation (2018 Garland)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-11 05:06:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17440511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perr1n/pseuds/Perr1n
Summary: Nothing lasts forever. Everything changes, for better, but more often for worse.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I loved this movie! One of the best Sci Fi horrors I´ve ever seen!

From where I stood, the towering wall of reflective magenta light was beautiful. Sure it was intimidating with its odd humming sound and the fact that it stretched hundreds of feet skyward, but the way it rippled like water, mirroring the images of that around it on its surface, made it quite the site to behold.  If not for the fear of the unknown, fear of what was not understood, then I would want to get closer to it, so that I may listen to the steady buzz it made better. I shake my head, having to remind myself that this compulsion may in fact be “The Shimmer” as this wall was referred to as attempting to lure me in. That was a big assumption though, cause none of us at base camp knew anything about it, only that two weeks ago it had started to form from the local lighthouse. The area was evacuated and a perimeter was set up to monitor its behavior. Nothing so far has emerged, and the remote controlled drones that had been sent in malfunctioned the second they touched the wall. So, with no other option, a manned mission was being prepped to enter The Shimmer. This causes me to chuckle, guess I’m gonna get to see it close up after all.

 

“Raymond! Wake up!”  A squeaky voice shouts behind me as I continue to observe the Shimmer from atop the perimeter fence. I jump in surprise and turn around to see none other than my sister Nicole  standing there. Were you to meet us without knowing so, you would never have thought we were related. Polar opposites in nearly every sense, where I stand a good six four, with close cut black hair and brown eyes behind square glasses to deal with my nearsightedness, Nicole was just barely five, two, blonde hair tied in a ponytail, her face dotted with freckles that highlighted her almost neon green eyes. “Jesus!” I cry before asking in an annoyed tone what she wants. She gives me that sly grin of hers, showing off straight white teeth and replies, “The briefings about to start. Everyone's waiting for you.” Taking one last look at the wall of light I then follow after her, a strange giddiness tingling in my gut. 

 

The other members of the team were indeed already there. Among them were two i recognized, Kane Barkley, a friend of mine in the U.S special forces, he was the one who contacted me and Nicole for our recruitment, and Dr Elizabeth Ventress, the team psychologist. The rest were strangers, but with what we are about to do, im sure in get them down quick. Dr Ventress is the only one standing save for me and Nicole. As we sit down in the loose semi circle of chairs facing her, the room darkens as Ventress announces that we may now begin. 

 

There is a soft click as a projector starts up and displays an image on the whiteboard Ventress stands next to. Said photo is a close up of The Shimmer, and if I strained my eyes I could see the warped reflection of the camera man. “As you may have known, at 6:38 pm two weeks ago, residents of the area contacted police to report the presence of a so called glow emanating from the local lighthouse. By the time police reached the scene however, said glow had spread to encompass a much larger area.” A click and then the image is swapped for one of an aerial shot, showing the large dome taking up a considerable amount of the area. “It is now believed that the Lighthouse is ground zero, and one of the four objectives will be to attempt to reach it to determine what exactly is going on. Our other three are to first learn if it is possible to enter the Shimmer, then see what exactly it is doing to the area and finally set up a forward operating base for those that will come after us. I know that we may not all know each other, so you will be given some time to learn faces, you move out next thing tomorrow. Dismissed.”

 

The lights come back on, making me to blink as my eyes adjust. Nicole leaps out of her chair, attempting to fix her hair as Kane walks over to us. He nearly crushes my hand with his as we shake, very lightly hugging Nicole once he lets go. His dark eyes, combined with his slicked back hair and a five-o'clock shadow made for a strong appearance, but his smile is warm and soft. “Scared yet?” He asks. I shrug, “Just a bit, but i'm excited more than anything.” “Thanks again for recommending us, i still cant believe this is happening!” Nicole exclaims. Kane raises his hands, “Yeah, well if things go south you won't be thanking me then.” Nicole, not really getting what he means somehow, wave it off. “Well, let's go make nice with strangers.” I say, and we head over to meet the others.

 

The first three, Kane already knew himself. One was a man by the name of Zach, the second was a older woman who introduced herself as Ellie and the third grunted out a word that sounded like Parker. They too were in the military, and were also offered spots on the team due to the suggestion of Kane, their roles were to be our security if things went to hell. 

Zach was slim, but tall, with tousled black hair and icy blue eyes, his grin is toothy and crooked, the kind you give when you're knowing more than you let on. Ellie observes me with keen hazel eyes, her lips in a pouting frown as she looks the two of us up and down. Parker meanwhile, who looms over even me just stands with his hands behind his back, mahogany skin in contrast to his curly blonde hair cut short to his head.

 

“Sooooo” Zach for no reason drawls out in his Texan accent, “What exactly is it that you two do?” Nicole puts a hand to her chest, “I'm a botanist, and my brothers a entomologist.” Ellies frown lessens and takes a more open look. She points to me and then to Nicole, “Bugs and Plants, nice combo” “That's exactly what our Mom said when we told her that's what we want to be when were older.” Two others walk to us and shake hands, introducing themselves as Maria and Edward, a geologist and biologist respectively.

 

Maria stands about the same as Nicole with cinnamon skin, hollow cheeks dotted with freckles, Edward only a inch taller and about twice as wide, bald head gleaming like a egg, underneath said chrome dome a set of wire frame glasses. “How long have you two been at it?” I ask them. In a voice that held a hint of English to it Edward responds, “About twelve years, I used to be a professor back in Utah and met Maria there. We hooked up about a month later and decided to take to the road.” Maria over exaggerates holding a hand to her head, leaning back a bit as she does. “My heart feels like it's going to explode! This is just so exciting!” Nicole giggles, “I know! It's just so crazy! I mean, can you believe it? This could very well be the greatest thing that's ever happened.” They huddle close to each other and start whispering, glancing at the rest of us and snickering like a pair of school girls. 

 

“Hows Lena doing?” I ask Kane. “Fine, worried to all hell about me.” I punch his shoulder and pain blossoms as my hand collides with solid muscle, Kane barely, if at all flinching from it. “Ah let her worry, but I bet you she's just dying to hear what you'll have to tell her when we get back.” His smile returns, and he hits me back, I biting my cheek to keep from yelping. “Thanks man, I always had a good feeling about you.” Edward yawns, and says how he is about ready to sleep. We say our goodbyes, and I have to almost drag Nicole away from Maria.


	2. Chapter 2

 

The next day we are off, slowly marching towards the wall of magenta light with Kane, Ellie, Parker and Zach in a square formation around us, M16’s gripped in hands, pistols in holsters. Closer and closer we get, and as we do the humming from yesterday grows louder. As I glance at Nicole on my right, I begin to feel the vibration in my body. It reaches a crescendo as we stop mere feet away, all of us craning our necks to see that it indeed seem to rise straight into space. “SO WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST?!” Nicole yells over the noise.  Everyone glances at each other. Edward scratches his bald head and mutters something swallowed by the Shimmer. Nicole looks at me with a raised eyebrow. I raise my hands, she lets out a annoyed groan and then charges forward. Maria and I reach out for her, but she's already past us. Her body collides with the Shimmer and is enveloped with a odd  _ WOMPF!  _ Sound. “WHAT THE FUCK?!” Ellie shouts. There's a beat of silence, two, three, and then with another loud  _ WOMPF!  _ Nicole reappears, eyes wide. Jutting a thumb overhead she states, “YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE THIS!” 

 

With a sigh of relief, I step forward, Kane and Parker on either side of me. Staring at the Shimmer, I can now see my own reflection, warped and distorted in its oily surface. Tentatively reaching a hand out, I touch it, gritting my teeth at the ticklish buzz that fills my body. It feels like plastic, solid and smooth.  Mustering my courage, I push my hand into it, ducking my head as it passes through as well. The inside of the Shimmer is cold and thick like syrup, and I close my eyes, holding my breath as I am completely enveloped. The chill surrounds me, but only for a moment as I pass through, straight into something that left me speechless. 

The photos of the area before the Shimmer were those of a pine forest, a place you'd go for a walk in. But what was layed out before me looked like a alien jungle. Trees stretched hundreds of stories high, branches twisted and bent in odd angles, leaves of every color they can come in decorating them. The pale yellow grass reaches up to my waist, long thin stalks swaying to a gentle breeze. In one of the contorted trees, a vibrantly colored bird, it plumage a rainbow of colors observes me with massive blue eyes, a trilling chirp coming from its curved beak. On this side the noise of the Shimmer is much more subdued, allowing me to better hear the others as they step in behind me. 

 

“Oh my god!” Exclaims Maria, clutching Edwards hand. “Its beautiful” Parker rumbles in his baritone voice. There is a faint rustling as Kane pulls out the map, having to tell everyone to gather around twice. With all of us huddled together he points at a spot circled on the map, saying that it is where we are to go. ‘The towns evacuated, so it'll be clear enough to set up a base. But it's a three day walk from here, so hurry up and take your samples, we move in five.” At once we unsling our packs and set to work doing so, pulling our tools need for the job. Nicole carefully begins plucking strands of grass, placing them in a small container. Edward brandishes a sample probe and begins to collect the wet soil the grass sits in. With Zack at our side Maria and I crouch in search of insects. “Your sister always that crazy?” Zack asks. “Only when shes real interested in something” I say. He scoffs, “Safe to say she's interested then”  “Well, look at all this! This right here could be concrete proof of aliens, now don't tell me that isn't interesting” Maria exclaims. Zack replies, “Honey I joined the Army to shoot stuff, it aint in my training to get sciency.” 

 

And that's when the brightly colored bird falls out of the sky onto his head. With a cry of alarm Zack jumps back, but the bird does not move, it just lays there in the grass, twitching as its chirp becomes a garbled croak. It stills, and falls silent. With a glance at me, Maria gently picks it up, it's icy eyes now unfocused. “Why did it die?” I ask. She shrugs, turning it over in gloved hands.  “If you three are done playing with animals then pack it up, we’re moving out!” Ellie shouts over to us. I fish out a specimen container and pop the lid, Maria setting the birds corpse inside. We head back over to the others. Kane asks if we are ready, and when we confirm such we take off, deeper into the bizarre jungle. 


	3. Chapter 3

 

It's quite intimidating to say the least, the trees looming over us. The silence punctuated by chirps from other entities we could not see. Every once in awhile we would all stop as the sound of rustling grew louder, some other unseen creature quickly making its way past us.  Looking skyward I can just barely make out the roof of the Shimmer behind the canopy of leaves. Nicole strides on slender legs on my right, pocketing her camcorder, but frowns when i don't return her smile, “You still mad about that whole thing?”” She asks. “No shit i'm mad, what if you got hurt, or god forbid even killed?”  I respond. “But i didn't, I'm fine, so don't get snappy at me.” I sigh, pulling out my canteen and sipping its water. “Yeah, Im sorry. It's just that with mom gone, youre all I've got left. Just promise me you'll be more careful.” She grins once more, “No promises” “That's not funny” I growl. She replied that it is. “Is not” I say. “Is too” She says. “Is not” “Is too” “Is” “Isnt” “Is” “Isnt” “Isnt” “Is, fuck!” I exclaim as she tricks me. We laugh, and as we do we all step into a clearing, giving us all a perfect view of the roof of the Shimmer, more prominent now that the sun is setting, glowing its metallic pink. “We’ll set up camp here for the night” Kane says, and we quickly pitch our tents.

 

As night slowly settles in, the wind seems to pick up in speed, causing the once gentle breeze to turn into a chilly blow. I hurry into my tent, Nicole behind me, and inside our mobile nylon and polyester home we eat our packed rations. The wind howls, but if I listen closely I swear I can hear something else, some massive alien beast screaming into the night. I open my mouth to say something, but am cut off by the sound of the tent flap unzipping. Maria stands there, the container holding the alien bird in her hand. I ask her what she wants as she sits down. Once more wearing gloves, she pops the lid and pulls out the bird, laying it on the tents floor with it wings spread out. “I've been studying our little friend here, and I just gotta say, its incredible.” She runs her fingers along one wing and tells us to touch it. 

 

I trace my pointer finger across its chest. Rather than be soft and move with you like most feathers, this ones are smooth and hard, and now that i look at it closely i can see that as it turns out, they were not feathers. “Scales?” Nicole asks, to which Maria nods. “Well what did you expect? They are aliens after all” I respond. Maria scratches her head. “Yeah, well. That’s what I thought too, but the more I look at this thing, the more I realize, besides its color pattern and scales,it  looks in every way like a Sulphur crested Cockatoo.” I stare at the bird and begin to see that it indeed does look like one, with its ashy colored beak, blue eyes rimmed with black circles, and most noticeably, the crest that the bird is named after. “But Sulphurs are almost always white, and last I checked birds from Earth don't have scales.” She wags a pointed finger, “That's what Edward said, but then I looked at its neck.” She pinches its throat and bends it so that we can see that there on it are three pink diagonal slashes. 

 

“It has gills, that's what killed it. It couldn't breath. But if that was the case, then it and its parents would have dropped dead the second they went above water, and yet it sat in that tree for a good 5 minutes flat before it gave any sort of reaction. Along with is the fact that it has wings, not fins. So it would have been a terrible swimmer, and that's lead me to believe that they are new, the gills are new.” “Animals cant just suddenly grow gills, it's impossible.” I say. “So is everything else in this place.” Nicole interjects. Ignoring her I ask where Maria is going with this. She shakes her head, “I don't know. I've got a theory, but without more to study I cant say anything for sure.” With that she leaves, and with nothing more to say, I immediately wrap myself up in my sleeping bag, trying my hardest to block out the screaming in the distance.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, after a breakfast of powdered eggs, we continue walking. Nicole is behind me, chatting with Maria. Ellie and Zack are on either side of me, the barrels of their guns pointed at the ground. “Man, is this place fuckin’ creepy” Zack mutters. “No argument there” Ellie replies. I decide to ask, “How long have you two known Kane?”  Ellie responds, “We were all in boot camp together, by some luck we got assigned to the same unit. Spent around two years in Kuwait before we got sent home. What about you? How did you two meet?” “About three months ago me and Nicole were in Rio checking out bugs and stuff there, and happened to stumble on Kane and his wife Lena when we crossed path on a bike trail. Since their both nerds Lena and Nicole got along fast, and as it turns out their house back in Ohio is only about a block away from us.” Zack scoffs, “Talk about coincidences.” His face turns into a grimace, and he places a hand to his gut. “You alright?” I ask him, to which he waves it off. “Yeah, stomach just hurts a little. Never trust those eggs, you'll get constipated.” Ellie chuckles, “Man you're full of shit!” Zack and I laugh too, but our mirth dies as we spot what is ahead.

 

The grass is still to our waist, its tips tickling at my hands as they brush over them, but that is miniscule compared to what stood not but ten feet away. Two creatures, bodies snow white and slender, stare at us. Their eyes are massive black orbs set within elongated faces shaped like triangles. The mouth of one works on the strands of grass in it, while the other shakes its head, causing the pair of massive antlers it possesed to rattle, the flowers growing from the tips of them swaying, grinding a hoof into the soft earth.  The first one swallows what it was gnawing on and inches over to the second. Its head lacks antlers, and its fur is a lighter color, leading me to believe it is female, and the display the male is giving us is a threat to keep away. Kane must realise this as well, for he motions for us to follow and we go around the creatures, heading for the building in the distance. 

 

The stag watches us warily and when we are far enough away turns and bounds off across the field in a manner akin to a gazelle, his mate close on his tail. “Bloody fascinating” Parker growls next to me. I eye him, craning my neck to look at his face. “Man of few words aren't you?” I ask. He tilts his head before responding, “Never been much of a talker. Not my strong suit” With that he walks off, the rest of us in tow. 

  
  


As it turns out, the building is a pool house. A little worn from none being around to care for it, its baby blue paint faded from weather, the glass doors smashed in from some animal, allowing dirt and the occasional leaf to get in, but other than that in good shape. “Like I said, fuckin’ creepy” Zack mutters, observing the now almost empty pool, its very bottom filled with brown water polluted with more leaves. Nicole peers outside the building, “Sun's going down” She says. Its decided the building could used as a shelter, sparing the need to set up our tents. 

 

So we pull out our sleeping bags, all huddled together so none would get lost. I sit with Zack and Edward, the latter trying his best to keep his heavy breathing under control, but his flushed face gives it away. “Im not cut out for this” He sighs. Rubbing the dirt of my glasses I tell him, “None of us are. Cause none of us even know what's going on.” He scoffs. “Maria’d like too. I can barely keep up with her half the time.” Maria sits with Ellie and Nicole, the latter even resting her head on the formers shoulder as they talk. I continue,. “She reminds me of Nicole, Maria does. Might explain why they’re hitting it off so good.” There is then a sound, its faint, but I hear it, a odd gurgling rumble that comes from the direction of Zack, who once more is clutching his stomach. I start to ask him what's wrong, but he's up and past us, a shout of, “I'm takin’ a shit!” being proclaimed as he heads outside and out of sight. 

 

Edward scoffs again, and as I look at his eyes I see somthing. It's there for less than a second, so it goes by faster than I can react. Then, I brushed it off as my horrid eyesight messing with me, but later I would know. And so, I eat my meal for the evening before burying myself in my bag, my sleep coming the second my eyes close.


	5. Chapter 5

 

I am awoken by a sound, a loud echoing cry. Someone's screaming, and as I groggily wriggle out of the sleeping bag a heavy weight strikes my leg before landing on my chest, knocking the air out of me. “GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!” A voice chants above and behind me.  A blinding light is shone right into my eyes, before shifting to focus on Ellie, who straddles my waist after having tripped over me. She turns her flashlight left and right, her army jacket replaced with a tank top. The light falls onto Zack, who is now shirtless, thrashing on the ground with Kane hovering over him.  “Whats going on?” Ellie demands as she clambers off me. Breathing hard, chest heaving, Zack points at his stomach. “It's in me! Oh fuckin’ Christ in heaven it hurts!”

 

I am on my feet now, clustered around the man with everybody else. Edward is trying to say that maybe it's food poisoning, but his voice dies as, much to the horror of us all, the skin on Zack’s stomach ripples. The gurgling sound is louder now, and it seems as if there are snakes writhing underneath the soldiers skin. Tears stream down his face, and he sobs. “Please, for the love of god make it stop!” Kane swallows the lump in his throat while glancing around, “Everyone, pack up. We’re getting out of here” Zack grabs his wrist, “NO! I cant wait! I cant move! Just please cut it out!” Kane shakes his head, “Man, if we slice you open now we could kill you.” Zack in turn screams, “Im already being killed. Whatever the hells in me is eating my body. I need it out now! Give me a fuckin’ knife! I'll do it myself” He tries to sit up, only to fall back, clawing at his skin and howling in renewed agony.

 

With a defeated sigh Kane yells at Parker to help him hoist Zack up, while telling me to grab one of the many discarded chairs. He points down the slope of the pool and tells me set the chair down there. Cursing as the frigid and filthy water soaks my hiking boots, I prop it against the wall of the pool, Kane and Parker depositing the now sweating Zack on it. “Jesus Christ, Kane! We cant just cut him open!” Maria exclaims. I jab at Zack, “Look at him! Look at his stomach! We’ve got to do something!” Maria, for the first time, lets out a swear, turning away as Edward hands Parker a spare shirt, which he tears into strips to bind Zack’s hands behind his back. Panting in fear, I take mine off, dimly aware that Nicole has now pulled her camcorder out.

 

Kane looks at me, survival knife in one hand. “Raymond, I’m gonna need you to hold him. Once I go in, he’s gonna struggle.” I hurriedly nod, “Just get it over with” I move to Zack’s side, placing my hands on his clammy skin. He looks at me, but just like with Edward, there is something in his eyes. But unlike Edward, I know what I see, his pale blue eyes are no longer blue, but instead a sallow orange, rimmed with silver rings. I cant tell the others this though, for with no words spoken Kane plunges his knife into Zack, making a sawing motion as he cuts a circle.

 

Zack lets out a stifled moan, cheeks puffed as he tries to keep still, me gripping both his shoulders tightly. “Oh god, oh god oh god oh god oh god god” I groan as syrupy red begins to leak out of the line drawn into his gut.  There is a retching noise from Ellie, followed by the sound of wet splattering. “Stop, please just stop.” Zack whimpers as his resolve breaks. I rest my head on his, whispering about how it's almost over. “Just about got it” Kane says, and then finally a section of flesh is cut off, and our horror mounts ever higher at what lays inside Zack. I lean over and look in him, at the long pulsating tubes that slither in rows just under his skin. They are a pale pink in color, with splotches of red from blood covering their worm like bodies. Kane reaches out, hooking his fingers around one. “Jesus fuck, are you seeing this?” He asks Nicole’s camera.

 

He stands and turns away. I look at Zack, but his breathing has gone silent, head now limply resting on his chest. “Zack? Zack! Stay with us, man!” I exclaim, shaking him as Kane dips his hands into the water to wash away the blood on them.  Parker, silent as ever but now with a terrified look on his face, kneels and slaps Zack across the jaw. There's a surprised yelp from the tied up soldier as his head rises, eyes still orange. “Hey, Juno” He says to Parker, “Did ya get ‘em out?” Parker looks at me, and I give a nod. “Yeah, buddy. We got them” Zack smiles. “Oh good. I was worried there for a second”

 

And then he explodes. Well, he didn't so much explode as he did expand. His chest rises, stretches beyond what it should be able to. There's a popping noise as his vertebrae are pulled apart, his skin tearing. There's not as much blood as you'd expect. The worms begin to burst from his body, making a wet slurping as they reach out and attach themselves to the walls, these tiny flowers blooming from them. Accompanying this is a milky white fuzz, some form of moss that grows where the worms are not. Zack’s head is forced upward, his mouth opening. There's no scream though, for the moss and the worms emerge from his throat, his ears, nose and eyes. We all back away, stare at the macabre wall garden that was a man, still is a man, for even though they've reduced his head to bone, the skull is still visible, his torso attached to the wall with it.

 

We stare, one second, two seconds, three, four, five. And then I scream, followed by Nicole, and Maria. “WHAT THE ACTUAL FLYING FUCK?!” Ellie sobs, burying her head into Parker’s chest. Kane orders everyone to, and I do quote, “Pack your shit and do it fast.” We do so, all of us refusing to look at what remained of Zack. As I stuff my sleeping bag into my pack, Kane lets out a curse. I turn and see he is back inside the pool, holding up his own bag, dripping water. He fishes around one of its pockets, pulling free a lump of soggy paper. “Oh please don't tell me thats what I think it is.” I groan. Kane hurls the lump away, “God damn maps ruined! Zack must’ve knocked the bag in when he started freaking out.” “NO MAP?!” Exclaims Edward, “How the hell are we getting out here without the map?!”  Nicole says, “We can still just head back the way we came, we’ll reach the end of the Shimmer eventually.” Ellie makes a gesture with her hand. “It's still a two day walk, and we dont know whats out there.”

 

Nicole steps closer to her, “Yeah, well what do you suggest we do? Wait for help? No way am I staying another hour in this building with whatever the fuck that is!” She points at the pool. “Me neither! The sooner we’re out of here the better!” I agree. Maria cuts in, “Without the map though, we’ll get lost. And like Ellie said, there's no telling what's out there.” Nicole throws up her hands and flat out screams, “I WILL NOT BE LIKE HIM! I’LL SLIT MY WRISTS BEFORE I LET THAT HAPPEN TO ME!” “ENOUGH!” Roars Parker, delivering a kick to one of the discarded chairs, sending it flying. We pipe down fast as he rubs his temples, before turning to Kane. “You're in charge here man, what do you want to do?” Kane looks between us all, his chest deflating as he sighs. “You're all right. Without the map we don't know which way to go, but at the same time we are not staying here. But from what I can remember, the towns a few more miles from here. Okay, now that's a couple hours at best and it's right next to the ocean. There's bound to be a boat there, because the people were sent running before they could gather everything. Our best bet is to head there, get a boat, and take off.” He raises a finger, “Now, I know that sounds crazy, but it's sure a lot safer than walking around a forest with no idea where we´re going. So, well take a vote, who's in favor of heading back?” Edward, Nicole and I raise our hands, Edward and Maria giving each other glares. “Now who wants to head to the town?” Parker, Ellie, Kane and Maria raise hands.

 

“Okay, four to three, we head in. You guys want to go back, we won't stop you. “ Nicole walks over to one of the tables, pulling the memory card out of her camera, placing it into a sample bag. I ask her what she’s doing as she takes out a black marker and writes on the bag. “A warning, its if we don't make it.” I so badly want to tell her we will, but I feel it wouldn't help. She walks away, the word, “For those that follow” Drawn on the bag.

 


	6. Chapter 6

We finish packing, and move towards the door, into the night, but before we do, Kane hands Nicole and I Zack’s guns. I take the rifle, Nicole the pistol. I’ve never held a actual gun before, the most experience i hand was a pellet gun fired at cans. But I don't say anything, cause there's no point in protesting, I’ll figure it out fast. 

 

And so we walk, the harsh wind at our back, into the unknown, more terrified than ever. We are huddled close, none daring to stray, but still needing to shout to be heard. “I HATE THIS SO MUCH!” Maria yells. We continue, and eventually the sun returns, the howling coming to an end. From here on we can see everything around us, and although we still have no real idea where we are going, the open fields are much better than the dense jungle.  Suddenly, Kane raises a fist to tell us to stop, for ahead of us, rusted from rain but still standing amongst the tall grass, is a playground, and around said playground stand figures. 

 

I inch over to Kane and hiss in his ear, “I thought you said the town was evacuated.”  “It was” He responds before pointing at Parker and Nicole, “You two wait here with Maria and Edward. Raymond, Ellie, with me, watch my back” Edward raises a hand, “For the love of god you three, be careful”  And so the three of us slowly approach the figures, guns raised, fingers on triggers. Closer and closer we draw, and as we do I quickly realise that they are not human. Their skin is a forest green, with strange white patterns on their bodies, legs and forearms a birch brown. They don't move, but simply stare in different directions as we halt twenty feet away. 

 

Kane licks his lips, draws in some breath and then calls to the aliens, “If you can understand me, then I want you to raise your hands and turn around” They don't react. “Hey! You hear us?” Ellie yells. “Don't make us kill you!”  I add. Just then, a hand grabs my shoulder, causing my entire body to tense, including my trigger finger. The sound of the rifle going off is akin to a thunder clap, the weapon jolting in my hands as the round flies through the air, striking the closest of the aliens directly in the head.

 

The green and white skull of the creature has a portion torn off, the pieces getting tossed in random directions. There is no blood though, and the creature does not so much as flinch. They just continue to stand there, paying us no attention. I whirl around to find Nicole standing there, hands on ears, the others behind. “Jesus Christ, the hell is wrong with you?!” I exclaim. She shakes her hands, “Sorry! Sorry!” Rolling my eyes, I look back at the aliens, and see Kane is slowly walking towards them. We hurry to catch up, and once more it turns out things aren't what they seem. 

 

The figures are in fact plants, the green parts being leaves, the white little flowers like the ones that burst from Zack, and the brown the bark from which the two former are growing out of, so tightly packed together that from a distance they looked like people. “Well, aint that quite the coincidence” Edward mutters as Maria tentatively reaches out to touch one of the odd bushes. I bet her hand away while saying, “I don't think you should do that, whatever sort of parasite killed Zack could be on them.” Ellie agrees, “Yeah, from here on, nobody touch anything. The second we’re back at base we should burn our clothes, just hope the things cant survive outside the Shimmer” Kane then says, “Let's take a breather, cant be far now” 

 

I find myself a patch of bare earth, and sit down, Maria next to me. Glancing at her and her scrunched up face I say, “That face you’re making? Nicole makes the same one when she's thinking real hard, so tell me what you’re thinking” She shakes her head, “You wouldn't believe me, it’ll sound too crazy.” I point at the bush figures, “After everything that's happened, whatever you’ve got to say is nothing” Maria sighs and leans close, “As you might’ve heard, all the recon drones the military sent in here malfunctioned the second they went through the barrier. Now the most sensible explanation is there's a electrical field, but if that's the case Nicole's camera and everyone's flashlights wouldn't work either, but they do. I talked with some the tech guys back at base, and they say the problem was that they couldn't lock onto the drones signal. Somethings scrambling it, mixing all the signals up. Now, bear with me cause here's the weird part, I think it's not only scrambling and mixing radio signals, but also living creatures.” 

 

I look at her with a raised eyebrow as she continues, “I mean, it helps explain why all these creatures look so much like earth animals, because they are, just mixed up with others.” It hits me then, and I stare at the grass figures. There are six of them, and each seem to be frozen in the midst of some action. One seems like it was stopped mid stride while running, another has one branch arm raised up near its head like it was either covering its mouth or looking at its hand. The third lays on its side, curled up in a ball. The fourth has its arms spread out, head tossed back as if it were screaming. Five and six stand next to each other, six being significantly shorter than five, only coming up to its waist. They both have one arm extended, the tips intertwining as if they were holding hands. 

 

I raise a hand to my mouth, “Oh dear god, then that means-” Maria, eyes wet with tears threatening to fall confirms what I am thinking, “It's gonna happen to us, it probably already is happening.”  She looks at me, and smiles, but there's not an ounce of amusement in it. “I bet they didn't tell any of you that the Shimmer has grown since it first formed, cause while we were walking through the forest the first day, we passed this collapsed fence, and I saw what it said, DANGER! NO TRESPASSING! GOVERNMENT PROPERTY!” She wraps her arms around me, whimpering softly, “It's just gonna keep going, it’ll just keep getting bigger and bigger until it consumes the whole world. It's the goddamn end of days Raymond!” I don’t know what to do, except stroke her hair and say it’ll be fine. Across from us Edward glares with confusion and disdain.

 

“What's happening?” Parker asks, as everyone else turns to look at us. Maria sniffles, wipes at her nose, and then freezes, staring at her arm. “Oh sweet lord, no” She sobs. Me being closest, I look, and see that not only are her veins now a faint green instead of the normal blue, her skin is rippling like the surface of water. I bolt to my feet, pulling Maria up with me and cup her head in my hands. “Maria, Maria, look at me sweetie, you look at me and you listen. You. Will. Be. Fine. Nothings gonna happen cause we are just about out of here, okay?”  The tears are now falling with reckless abandon, but still she finds it in her to smile again. “You and your sister are just the sweetest duo I’ve ever met. I mean, you just met me three days ago and look at how you’re treating me.” 

 

Nicole is next to me now, “You’re our friend Maria, and friends look out for each other.”  Maria lets out a shaky breath. “I’ve never had a sister. My only brother was a stupid junkie who went and blew up his heart from all those pills, so to hell with him. But, if there were ever worthy candidates for them, then you two would most certainly be my first picks.” She pushes me away gently, walking over to Edward, each step more and more stiff, as if her legs are refusing to move, placing her hands on Edward’s cheeks. “Mary, please don't go” He pleads, his hands over hers. She responds, “I gotta, Eddy. But we’ll meet again, for better or for worse, till death do us part, remember?”

 

He is crying  as well, “I love you, I always have and always will.” She rests her head against his, “Always the sweet talker.” He chuckles softly, “You know me so well” They kiss, and then it begins. It starts at her legs, the sound of her pants and shoes tearing as her skin hardens and thickens, turning a pale brown. Her shirt is torn off next as lines open up in her skin, but there is no blood. Underneath her are these little branches, which grow outward from her hardening body, little leaves and white flowers sprouting along them. Her mouth opens, and more branches emerge from within, coiling over her face, and then her head. The strips of her clothing fall to the ground. It ends, and six become seven, but also five. 

 

Edward stands there, looking at the addition to this gruesome garden. The flowers continue to sprout and bloom, each a snowy white. Its horrible, but in its own twisted way, beautiful. Parker and I make a move to snap Edward out of it, to tell him to come on. He turns, and despite his pudgy frame, takes off running, running back to the forest. Kane yells at him, but he doesnt listen, he just keeps going, rapidly becoming a speck in the distance. “Should we go after him?” Nicole asks. “What’s the point?” I growl, and march off in the opposite direction, towards the buildings ahead of us. 


	7. Chapter 7

 

At long last, we reach the town, carefully but quickly making our way down one street, the Lighthouse from which all this started far off on our right, a pillar of magenta light arching from its tip skyward. As we continue, we encounter more bush figures, the number increasing the further we go in. The buildings are in ruins, milky vines like the ones that burst from Zack latched onto many of the walls and surfaces. We continue, heading straight for the harbor, not stopping for a second.

 

As we do, I keep finding myself looking at the Lighthouse and wondering. What exactly did cause this? Was it truly some alien force, some nightmarish beast from beyond the stars. What if it were in fact some secret government experiment gone horribly wrong? Could it even be armageddon, and the terrible yet wonderous things around us be what hell really looked like? I ponder this as we reach the harbor, and just as Kane thought, there are indeed boats, plenty of them. Some have sunk, weather and tide pulling them down. Others seem to have been in the middle of being repaired when they were abandon, but still there are quite a few that looked to be in good condition. “See? Told ya! Spread out and search all of them, ones bound to be startable.” Kane exclaims.

 

Nicole, Ellie and I go left, Parker and Kane take right. As we walk along the wooden docks, our boots making audible thumps Ellie states, “Man, I cant wait to get home. Get as far away as I can from this place.” “Got someone waiting for you there?” I ask. “Yeah, and once I get my hands on her, it’ll take WW3 to split us up, cause there's no way in hell I'm letting her go.” “Her huh? That explains the way you were letting me rub all over you yesterday” Nicole teases. “Sorry, matchstick. You’re not really my type, I prefer someone who's got some meat on her” “HEY!” Nicole whines, “I'm not that skinny.” “Well, between the three of us, I’d say that you, Nicole, would be a light salad, Ellie the appetizer, and i'm the stuffed turkey” I tell them. “You are quite the big boy” Ellie agrees. “Oh I'm big in a lot of places” I try in a sexy voice. Ellie scoffs, “Not where’d it matter with me.” We laugh, and feel a bit better.

 

Ahead of us is a old green fishing dinghy, which Ellie and I hop into. She heads into the cabin, and behind its glass window I watch her fiddle around with various levers and buttons. She curses, delivers a hard kick, and with a deafening roar the motor comes to life. “HOLY SHIT IT WORKS!” Nicole cries. “HELL YEAH! THAT IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!” Ellie cheers. Kane and Parker sprint over to us. “Oh truly there is a god!” Parker exclaims as he and Kane board, Nicole behind them. With a deft slash from Parker’s knife we cut ourselves free and Ellie yells for us to hold on.

 

Another roar of the engine, and we are rapidly speeding away from it all, driving straight past the beach the Lighthouse stands upon. It is then that the words Maria said to me return, “It's just gonna keep going, it’ll just keep getting bigger and bigger until it consumes the whole world.” My mind made up, I yell for Ellie to stop the boat. “What is it?” She demands. I point at the shore near the Lighthouse. “Let me off there, I gotta have a look inside.” “Ray, are you insane?” Kane exclaims as we head in. I inhale deep, before stating, “I have to know what caused all this. Maybe there's a way of stopping the Shimmer before it gets any bigger.”  Nicole steps up, “If you’re going in there, then I’m coming with you!” I gesture at the others and say, “The rest of you, get out of here, you drive as far as possible and you don't look back for a second”

 

I move to leap over the bow, but Kaine yells for me to wait. He points at Parker’s bag, which the giant slings and opens. Inside is a bundle of metal cylinders, with small rings on their tops. “Phosphorus, for clearing foliage” Parker explains. Kane jabs a finger at Nicole and I, “You’re gonna need someone who knows how to work them, so I coming with. Ellie, you and Parker get outta here.” The two other soldiers stand tall and salute, “It's been a honor, you crazy brave bastard” Kane returns it, “Likewise.”

I ask the two if they are ready, and with a pair of nods we hop off the side, wading ashore. Behind us the boat revs to life, and soon is out of sight.

 

We march, march past these towering trees that looked as though they were made of glass, march past shrubbery in the shape of people, march past the skeletons that lay on the sand, killed by some force other than the Shimmer, the pieces arranged to spell out a rather fitting word, _ANNIHILATION._ Straight up to where it all began. The Lighthouse for the most part seemed normal, save for the column of light shooting from the top, and the massive hole smashed into one side of it from which more of those pale vines emerge from.

 

We stop at the front door, made from weathered hickory. “Should we knock?” I ask. Kane gives a grin, and then delivers a swift kick that sends the door flying open. We hurry inside, weapons raised. The inside is dark, the only light coming from the hole in the wall and open door. Across from us is a staircase leading upward, but our attention is drawn across the otherwise barren room to the tunnel carved into the ground from which a faint orange glow emanated, along with the vines. I look at the others, “Ready?” “As I’ll ever be” Nicole responds, and we enter the tunnel.


	8. Chapter 8

 

The walls are  entirely coated with vines, not one inch of bare earth visible. We do not turn on our lights, partly to keep from being seen, but also because the light is steadily growing brighter as we descend. The sound of the Shimmer has returned, but is different. Kinda like the same song, just a different melody. This one was not a heavy buzz, but more of a soft hum. The tunnel opens up into a small room, and my jaw drops at what was in the center.

 

I can not even begin to understand what it was, it at first seemed like a cloud of dust, but it hovered there, swirling around itself silently, every now and then there was a faint hiss and a small flash of orange light burst from one of its sides. The noise, the Buzz, was still there, but it was not out loud. I could feel it, the sound, in my body, in my mind. It was soothing, gentle and soft. You would want to close your eyes, sway to it, hum with it. I find myself doing so, my rifle clattering to the ground. 

 

I am slowly walking forward, listening, humming, wanting to know what it felt liked. My hand reaches out and in response a wisp of its grey body extended to meet me. My body vibrated, shook, a tingling on my skin, in my skin. It and I touched, and then it spoke.

 

Its voice was not a voice, non-words moaned out in a truly alien tongue.  Like a whale song, low and old and powerful beyond comprehension. I see a world, our world, Earth. But it's different, for the green of our plants is not the only color, there are many, rainbows of all types. I am somewhere else, and a tall man with glasses is cupping my cheeks. He's telling me I’ll be fine as I cry. But I’m not sad, if anything I am eager. I want to know what it's like, if it’ll hurt. Maybe it won't be so bad, cause if I end up like the others, at least I’ll spend the rest of my life under the warm sun. Im the on the ground, its cold and dark and I’m in pain. There's somthing in me, it wants to get out. The same tall man is cradling my head while a friend of his tries to remove what infested me. They fail, and the pain becomes too much. 

 

I'm now in a room, there are people around me. The same tall man is at my side, I feel safe around him. He’s my friend, no, he’s my brother. His name is-”RAYMOND!” Nicole screams as she drags me away. The orb draws back, howls and then folds in on itself. The grey becomes green, becomes solid, taking on the shape of a person. Two arms, legs, and a head. But thats it, thats where its similarities to us ended. It has no features, just a smooth iridescent emerald, its skin reflecting the light. Its faceless face is pointed in our direction as it extends one hand, tapered fingers spread wide. 

 

There's a thunderous canopy of sound as Nicole and Kane unload into it. It does not flinch, but for every spot a bullet strikes the alien, said spot flares bright gold. Two clicks signify they have run out, and with a yell we take off in the other direction, The Shimmer with its hand still out lacidasily following. Up the now pitch black hole we climb, blindly scrabbling towards the distant light, using the rubbery vines on the walls as grappling points. Nicole is in front of me, Kane behind. I cant see Kane but hear him breathing hard, all I see of Nicole is her outline ahead. 

 

We reach the end of the tunnel, all three hurrying back into the lighthouse. Kane fishes a new magazine from a pouch, reloads and the empties his gun back into the way we came. I turn to find Nicole and do, hovering a inch or two off the ground due to the Shimmer holding her throat. “KANE!” I yell and rush to my sisters aid. I grab at the aliens arm, which feels cold and bumpy and wet. It turns to look at me, and with its other hand gently taps my chest. I am sent flying across the room, the wind completely gone from my now aching body. Nicole paws at its arm, skin turning blue. And then it drops her, or at least loses its grip as Kane uses his knife to sever its hand. 

 

There is no blood, but there is a sound. A screech, the noise of a thousand hands scraping a thousand chalkboards as the Shimmer reels back. I have no idea how it is making the sound, but with its scraping shriek it lunges at Kane, who quickly rolls aside, slashing its calf. Nicole kicks its chest to knock it down, and I golf club swing Kane’s discarded rifle at its skull. It convulses, and pounds its fist into the ground. Flipping onto its back it rises, all three of us flanking it.  

 

**_WHY?!_ ** A voice demands, coming from the aliens direction. It sounds like no one, and even though its tone does not change, it manages to sound angry.  **_WHY?!_ ** It asks again, sounding sad.  **_WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!_ ** It chants, stomping forward with each proclamation. The cut on its leg is gone, and already its hand has regrown. “Raymond, Nicole! Get out of here!” Kane yells. “What?! No! We are not abandoning you!” I tell him. “I'm not telling you two, i'm asking you. Please! Someone has to make it out! If not for me then do it for the others!”  **_WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!_ ** The Shimmer pleads, the sound of sobbing in its tone as it reaches for Kane, who waves it back with a swing of the knife. “GO!” The soldier roars, eyes now a furious red. With that I pull Nicole away. “You tell Lena I love her, and you make sure she doesnt come for me.” I head for the door, Nicole at my side. “THIS IS FOR ZACK AND MARIA YOU ALIEN FUCK!” Kane yells as I swing the door close.  **_WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY do you hate me?!_ **


	9. Chapter 9

 

We are running, running faster than we have ever ran before, the sound of Kane yelling and the voice of the Shimmer growing distant as we head back towards the jungle. Everything is a blur, but Nicole manages to stop me before I barrel into the trees. “Oh dear god! We just left him back there!” She gasps.  Glancing at the setting sun, I pull her away from the sight of the Lighthouse. “Come on. We need to find shelter” Moving at a slower pace, we re enter the jungle, and so there were two.

 

We find a spot underneath one of the trees, who seem to be acting as a sort of shield from the harsh wind. Nicole swears and the shows me that she is without her bag. “Must’ve dropped it while fighting that thing.” Luckily, I still have mine, which contains our tent. We work fast to put it up, for without our guns we are vulnerable to the predators. 

 

To save the battery of our flashlights, we do not turn them on, instead huddling close together and whispering.  “What happened back there? When you touched that thing?” Nicole asks. I inhale deep, “It read me. Like a book it just opened me up. It showed me things, memories of Zack and Maria dying, but it wasn't from my view, but theirs.” “You saw them from them?” ”Yeah, it has their memories inside of it. I guess it takes them after you’re fully absorbed.” “What does it want? Did it show you why it's here?” She wonders. “No, but it did show me what would happen to earth. Maria was right, it's going to cover everything” 

 

Nicole makes a hum, “Maybe it won't be so bad.” I ask her to explain. “Well, we all saw what it did to the animals, and for some it actually turned out well. Other than a change of appearance, the two deer things looked just about normal.” I point out what happened to Zack and Maria. “Yeah, but I think its sorta like fingerprints or snowflakes. No two ones are identical, and while there will be bad ones like Zack, and there will be ones who die like Maria, if you think about it, there will also be ones who turn out fine, maybe even improve.”  

 

I rub the bridge of my nose, “Well wait a bit longer and then we’ll see if you like the new you. Cause until we’re out of here, we’re both at risk.” I turn away, laying down to let sleep claim me. The next morning I wake to the sound of Nicole crunching up a protein bar. She spares me a glance, a glance with eyes that are now slitted yellow, spotted with black dots. I point this out, and her response is to state that the tips of my fingers are black.  Sure enough, they are a dark purple. “Does it hurt?” She asks. I shake my head, “No, didnt even know it was there until you said so. What about you?” “Same.” She gives a tiny smile along with another bar. “See, no harm so far.” 

 

I eat quickly, and we pack faster. I want out, before it gets worse. We move at a faster pace, as fast as we can go without running. Ahead of us there is suddenly a loud  _ TWACK! _ Followed by a scream. I hurry forward, Nicole behind me as we emerge into another clearing. Across from us are a trio of creatures vaguely in the shape of dogs or wolves. Their bodies are covered in a hard exoskeleton, one blue, the second grey and the third red. Their twin mandibles flex as spittle drips from their maws, golden compound eyes boring into ours. Between them, bloodied and laying on his back is Edward. 

 

Blue lets out a warbling snarl, a warning to keep back from their meal. Instead I step closer, waving my arms and yelling loudly to try to scare them away. “PISS OFF YOU UGLY FREAKS!” Nicole shouts, pulling out her utility knife.  Grey instead steps up as well, jaws open wide as it roars, launching itself at me. I do the only thing I can, I grab at its head to try to keep it from tearing my throat out. I am fully expecting for the massive Wolf-Bug to knock me around like a toy, so it comes to my surprise when I dig my heels into the dirt and stop it dead.

 

I raise a fist and slam it down on the monsters head. With a heavy thud and a pained yelp the creature recoils, but I grab its neck and strike it again. With each strike I proclaim, ¨I! AM! SO! SICK! OF! THIS!¨ I raise both hands and bring them down with all my might. The Wolf-Bugś legs give out and it falls, the hard shell of its skull now a bloody pulp. Before I can react, Red leaps at me, taking me by surprise as I am dragged to the ground. It snaps its jaws, claws kicking at my chest in an attempt to open me up. 

 

With a yell Nicole jumps onto its back, knife rising and falling into its neck. Strands of red splatter her hand and my face as Nicole finally buries the blade into one eye. Red tenses, shudders, and goes limp on top of me. I shove the dead thing off, turning to face Blue, who continues to bark and snap. I stare at the beast, a feeling bubbling up in the back of my throat, pushing past my lips and emerging from me as a howl, not a scream, nor a yell, a howl that sounds nothing even remotely close to human. Blue whimpers and turns away, running down the fields with its segmented tail between its legs. 

 

Letting it go, we kneel next to the mangled Edward. Ḧe manages a gurgling croak, ¨What in the hell are you two?¨ Nicole tilts her head, ¨Its us Edward, its Nicole and Raymond.” His eyes widen, ¨Christ, this place sure has done a number on you. Nicole, your eyes, and Raymond your skins all weird! Where´s Ellie and Parker? Where´s Kane?” I answer him, ¨Ellie and Parker got out, they found a boat and left. We stayed behind with Kane, I got the bright idea to head for the Lighthouse, see if I could find what started this and end it. We did, and we shot the thing with everything we had, didn't so much as flinch. Kane told us to run, and I think it killed him¨  

 

Wincing from the pain he is in from being mauled, Edward then asks, ¨If it's not too much, could one of you kill me?¨ Nicole is quick to interject, ¨Come on, Eds. Don't say that, you'll be fine, all we have to do is get-¨ ¨NO!¨ Edward shouts, weakly moving one hand over himself, the other not moving at all. ¨My whole body is fucked and so am I! We have no clue where we are in this place and I cant even feel my legs! Please for the love of god make it stop cause its too much!¨ He lowers his voice, and with eyes that now have pink bands around the iris pleads to us, ¨Please let it be over, let me be with her.¨ 

 

Nicole grits her teeth, neck muscles tensing as she strides over to the corpses of Red, pulling out her knife with a wet slick. She crouches once more, looking at me with those snake eyes. I give a nod and take one of Edwards hands, shaking it softly, even though it does not move. ¨You sure you want this man? You really want this to happen?¨ I ask. He manages a little smirk, ¨No, I´d rather lay here and bleed out, or let that demon come back to finish trying to tear my head off. Just shut up and get it over with.¨ ¨Where do I put it?¨ Nicole questions. With his other hand Edward lays a finger on his chest. ¨Right there, Maria taught me that. She was always a clever one.¨ 

 

Nicole places the tip over the spot, looks at Edward, who nods softly, placing his good hand on the hilt, followed by me and Nicole, and together we push down. He groans, whispers a word, and is silent.  Finally, at the end, there are only two left.

 

We don't bury him, partly because we are too tired, and also because sooner or later some other animal will just dig him up. We are covered in blood, and my hands are trembling as I search our pack for food, finding nothing is left. My eyes turn to the two dead Wolf-Bug´s, and we use the same knife that just killed a man to carve out pieces of their shell and gnaw on the pink flesh under it. Without a means to cook it, the flesh is raw, tasting metallic and heady, but I keep it down as my purple skinned hands hold chunks. Nicole titters and I look at her, ¨You look like a zombie¨ I respond, ¨No better yourself¨  She cuts free another chunk, ¨You know, this isn't that bad once you get used to the taste¨ I then notice the small nubs on the ends of strands of her hair, and grab one lock as she asks me what gives. 

 

It is segmented, a line of smooth bands stacked atop each other, and when I give a thing a shake, it produces a clicking rattle. ¨Rattlesnake? Cool.¨ Nicole comments, shaking her hair around to make a buzzing. I scratch at a spot on my arm, then look down to see the tiny points growing on them, the beginning stage of feathers. ¨I guess i'm gonna be a bird.¨ I say. ¨Probably a penguin, youŕe too fat to fly.¨ ¨I hate penguins, nothing but giant chickens in the snow.¨ Nicole stands, not looking at what lay to our right and asks if i'm ready to go¨ 

 

I am, and so we walk.  As we do we begin to talk once more, ¨You think they've sent someone in to rescue us?¨ I shrug, ¨Nope, but god forbid it if it happens. We were´ńt ready and neither will the next group be.¨ ¨Well, we might be able to warn ´em cause look!¨ She points, and just ahead past the trees is a solid wall of glowing light, the border, the exit. ¨Holy Hell! Come on!¨ I cry and take off. I don't bother to duck my head as I impact the Shimmer, the heavy buzz filling my ears as a frigid chill envelops me. I pass through, Nicole at my back, and thirty meters away is a familiar wall. The guard atop one search tower sees us and turns away, shouting at somebody below. 


	10. Chapter 10

 

At once multiple soldiers appear along the wall, guns raised and pointed right at us. I hold my hands over my head as I walk towards the, Nicole doing so as well. ¨HOLD YOUR FIRE! WE´RE NICOLE AND RAYMOND FROM THE RECON TEAM!¨ Nicole yells when we are close.

  
  


With a heavy groan twin metal gates slide open, allowing none other than Dr. Ventress and two others a path towards us. ¨Good god almighty what happened to you two?¨” Asks Ellie, whose finger tips are now akin to bear claws. Parker has shorts on, for his now digitigrade legs, feet morphed into paws, make pants hard to wear. I grip his still powerful hand as Ellie and Nicole hug. ¨The Shimmer´s what happened, it's what happened to all of us.¨  I say. Ventress, visibly uncomfortable with us four mutants, clears her throat. ¨Well, let's get you two inside and out of those clothes, I expect a debriefing once you're all cleaned up.

 

We head in, and are directed towards the showers, throwing away our blood covered rags. I close my eyes and let the warm spray wash away the horrors that stained me, trying my hardest to ignore the deep violet skin I now had. It was particularly hard to clean my arms, due to the thin layer of feather points on them.  I dry off and dress myself in fresh clothes, observing myself with eyes now a dull silver with wide black pupils. Hawk eyes, fierce looking eyes. 

 

Nicole is wearing pants and a bra, but is checking her bare back in the mirror. ¨Christ, looks like I'm growing scales.¨ She mutters. Sure enough, small diamond shaped patches, a pale yellow in color dot her back. I put my glasses back on, only for my vision to blur. I pull them off, and it clears. I repeat this a few times, realising that my steadily worsening stigma is gone, I can see just fine. With a shrug I toss the spectacles in the trash, and after we finish dressing, step out to talk with Ventress.

 

We, Nicole, Parker, Ellie and I, all sit opposite from Ventress and a group of scientists as they ask questions.  ¨So, what exactly happened?¨ One of them asks. I answer, ¨We went into the Shimmer, just as ordered. On the other side is something straight out of a fantasy. All sorts of trees and animals unlike anything on earth. We took samples and headed off towards town and on the second day we made camp in a abandon pool house, where we then lost Zack. We thought it was some sort of alien parasite that burst outta him.¨ 

 

Ellie picks up, ¨But later on Maria seemed to figure out it was being inside the Shimmer itself, it was altering and changing the DNA of all organic creatures in it. She was right, as you can guess by us. She died next, her body just opened up and she turned into a plant. We lost Edward right after, he just took off running, might still be in there somewhere.¨

 

Parker continues, ¨We were too far in to just turn back at this point and we had already lost the map so we were walking blind. Kane got the idea to head into town, find a boat and get out. We eventually found one, but Raymond got the bright idea to head to the lighthouse, wanted to see if he could stop this. I gave him my supply of phosphorus grenades and he left with Nicole and Kane.¨

 

Nicole´s turn, ¨We did find the source in there, and it almost killed us. Nothing we did to it worked, we hit it, shot it and stabbed it and it just kept coming. Kane told us to run and we did, and we finally made it out. The rest you know.¨ 

 

¨So this Shimmer is what caused you, ahem, change of appearance?¨ Ventress asks. Nicole nods, a series of rattles accompanying her. A meek looking nerd with wire frame glasses timidly questions, ¨If it's not too much Miss Ventress, we'd like to run some tests on the subjects?¨ I actually growl out, ¨The subjects have names, and you cant lay a finger on us unless we say you can. The Shimmer changed more than our appearances.¨ He shrinks back from us, a rainbow of eyes all on him now. Ventress raises her hands, ¨Just keep calm Ray, all we want is to get a better understanding of what to expect. There's also the possibility we could find a way to reverse what's happened to you.¨ Ellie points a claw. ¨What you can expect is to no longer be human. You give up your humanity the very second you enter the Shimmer, and even though you have to be suicidal or plain stupid to want to go in, believe me when I say bring a whole lotta guns!¨ 

  
  


Parker adds, ¨People are dead because of you Ventress, you and your boss. So you can take your fake as hell sympathy and shove it where the sun don't shine! To hell with you and this base! You’re gonna get what you deserve when the Shimmer catches up, cause this is far from over!¨  Me and him stand, and I notice we are now of equal height. ¨And who's to say I want to go back to the way I was? I was a nobody, just another person in billions. But look at me now! I don't wanna give this up, I want to see what I´ll become.¨ States Nicole. ¨You can expect it. The feeling as you are disassembled and rearranged at the atomic level. Your whole body goes numb as your cells are transformed into something else. A change is coming, and with it? The end of mankind!¨ I conclude, storming out with the others.

 

¨I cant believe those people!¨ Snarls Parker.  ¨What are we gonna do?¨ I ask. Ellie rubs her face, and I worry she might gouge her eye out with her new hands. ¨We all know what's gonna happen eventually. They´ll lock us up, tie us down to tables and cut us open so they can see if they can learn what we are.¨ Nicole nods, ¨Probably see if they can make the Shimmer into a weapon. Humans are real good at turning things into killing machines. But now that we're not human, we don't have to follow human laws.¨ She seems to realize. 

  
  


I motion with my feathered hands, ¨Woah, Woah, Woah, sister. Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves and do something drastic. There’s also the possibility things will turn out fine for us.” “You call this fine?!” Ellie hisses, “This is as far from fine as it can possibly get!” I retort, “Well what do you suggest we do? There's no way they’ll let us go now, and Im not about to become a killer.” Her shoulders sag and she whispers, “I just want this to be over. I just want it to stop.”

 

I place a hand on her, “Me too, Ellie. At least we’ll have each other.” We gather around, slinging an arm over the one next to us. “We’re the first of something new.” Nicole says, “We won't be the last, but like you said Ray, a change is coming. We are that change.”

 

The weeks pass, slow and boring. Doctors come to take samples of us, hair and blood and other bodily fluids. We are weighed, measured and asked a number of questions. It seems our changes have stopped, but still we have been altered enough to stand out. We are allowed to go anywhere in the base, but are denied exit. We aren't allowed to go home. 

 

“What was it like, when you and the Entity made contact?” Asks my mandatory therapist/physician Marta. I sigh, “Horrifying, exhilarating. Terrible and beautiful. It truly is something alien. Different in every sense, incomprehensible. I don't know what it wants to do, but it showed me what would happen to Earth, what its going to do to Earth.”  “And what would that be?” I shake my head, “Engulf us. It's like a tidal wave. You can run, but no matter have far you go, it's always gonna be there. You’ll get tired, you’ll stop wanting to run. You’ll be submerged it its light, and when you resurface, you won't be you anymore. It doesn't hurt though, it feels good. Like a tickling right under your skin, and then all over. It almost took me fully, and whether it was me or it just messing with my thoughts, I wanted it to consume me, to let its song put me to sleep.” 

  
  


“It does sound beautiful. I wonder what it's like.” Marta says, her voice a little dreamy. I give a smile, “The door is always there, all you have to do it open it and step inside.” She reaches out and makes a gesture with her hand, “May I?” I nod. She gently brushes the feathers on my arm. “Amazing, it's like they were always a part of you.” She whispers. “Maybe they were, maybe in some distant past our species was like this. Maybe the Shimmer it just showing us what we could have become if evolution took a different path.” 

 

The next day I learn that Marta had gone missing, camera footage spotted her sneaking past the night guards and running into the Shimmer. More were added to patrols, and I was forbidden to leave my room considering I was the last person she was seen with. Nicole is dangling by her legs off my bed, gold eyes twinkling and rattles rattling. “You thinks she’s dead?” I ask. Nicole gives a upside down shrug, “Probably, she didn't have anything with her when she went in. Wolf-Bugs got her most likely.” I snarl, “That's the second person I’ve killed!” 

 

“It was my knife that killed Ed, not you. But does it really matter? I’ve talked with some of the guards and once again Maria got it right, cause they say the Shimmer is growing. In another  few weeks or so they’ll have to evac this place.” I start to say something in response, but the door to the room flies open, “He’s here!” Ellie cries. “Who?” “Kane! Kane just walked out of the Shimmer!” I run after her, keeping pace as we zip past guards and outside.


	11. Chapter 11

 

A small group stands around a prone figure, who is still wearing the same army attire as the day we lost him. “Where am I?” Groans Kane to Ventress as he lays there. “You made it, buddy. Even the Shimmer couldn't stop you” I say as I crouch at his side. “Holy shit, Raymond? Man do you look weird.” Kane replies, looking at me with normal eyes, not red ones. Ellie helps him stand, slinging a arm over her shoulder. “Let's get you inside and looked at.” 

The group breaks as medics help Ellie pull him in and away from us. I turn to look at the Shimmer, indeed closer than before. And from it came a demon. “INCOMING!” I yell as whatever it was came charging. It moved on two slender legs, skin a glossy orange. The head was a triangle, two bony crests rising from the back of its skull. The mouth was wide open, rows of shark like teeth bared. I hear the thumping of its feet as it nears, and then with a loud BANG! It drops to the ground, a hole between its milky eyes. 

 

Ventress stands next to me, her pistol smoking. “CLEAR!” She shouts. After that more were added to watch, and the creature was brought in for autopsy. They wouldn't let us see Kane, would not say why. The thing had its teeth checked, and they found a human molar near the back of its mouth. Ran the tooth through records, turned out to be Marta. I spent the night puking my guts out. 

 

“Not only is it growing, but now the mutations are happening faster.” Nicole notes, reading through the report on Marta. I continue to pace, “That's the first time somthing hostile came out of the Shimmer. I bet you it won't be the last.” “No argument there” Replies Parker as he eats a carrot of all things.  I stand correct, for the next day two of the Wolf-Bugs appear, and are then gunned down. Three days later a blob of limbs and fur had its head blown off. Turned out to be a bear with lowland gorilla mixed in it. More and more three weeks worth of a alien intelligence playing take apart and put back together again came pouring out. 

 

And then, after about a month or two of repelling the invasions, it soon becomes obvious that the Shimmer is far too close for anyone's safety. We pack, we move and a week later the base is gone, swallowed by the Shimmer. A new base is constructed, and there we wait for the threat to return. I find myself arguing with Ventress when she tells me one day they are thinking of sending in another team in the hopes of destroying the source.

 

“You are insane! All you’ll do is get more people killed! That or they’ll come back all fucked up like us!” She throws her hands in the air, “There's nothing I can do! Orders are orders and I have mine!” The conversation is interrupted by two soldiers, “Ma’am, we’ve got a mutant outside!” One states. “Then shoot the thing and take it to the incinerator!” Ventress replies. “Yeah, but we’ve got a problem, its asking for him” A point at me. 

 

I follow them outside and up a staircase to the patrol wall. Directly below us stands something quite shocking. Below stands a massive clump of moss and grass, but it twitches and moves as though alive. There is a faint rustling as somthing pulls itself free, skin really just the same plant material packed tightly together to give it a humanoid shape. 

 

A ring of thorns and flowers rises from its top, and two holes are set within its head. “Raymond? Where’s Nicole?” The voice is raspy and hoarse, but still I recognize it. “Maria? Oh, for God's sake, will this ever end?” I groan, vaulting over the railing to land in front of her. She extends a cluster of vines, wrapping them around parts of my body. They are soft and gentle, carefully stroking across me in curiosity, feeling my feathered .arms. “You’ve changed. You’re different, just like me.” She comments.

 

“We saw you die, I watched your body split open. How can you be here?” I ask. I am trying to keep my voice neutral, even as the tendrils massage the many sore parts of my form. “I came back. It brought me back. It does not just change your body, but your soul. I am a part of them, and they are a part of me. It does not want to hurt us, it's just trying to help us.”  

 

“How is this-ooh-helping?” I groan as my tense muscles for once in the past few months relax from her touch. “It has no control over what it makes, because all it does is create. It's getting better though, cause you and me are fine. By the way, how are Nicole, Parker and Ellie?” “How do you know they’re here?” I reply, legs threatening to give out as she wraps herself around me more. 

 

“I can feel you, and them. We’re connected now, that's why the others are coming out. They want you back. You don't belong here anymore, none of you do.” Her voice is all around me, soft and kind. “Come with us, join us. Be us. Come home Ray, we miss you, I miss you.” 

 

A harsh bang snaps me out of whatever trance I was under. Maria releasing me and retracting herself. “That's far enough!” Ventress yells, training her gun at her. Maria quivers, her leaves rustling to produce a hiss, “Ventress. We want you too, we have something special in mind for one of your intelligence.” Her green self points at me, “You cant trust them, Ray. They are liars, all of them. They’ll never let you leave because they don't understand you, they don't accept you, they FEAR you. And we all know what people are capable and willing to do when they are afraid.” She then turns, rolling and shuffling back into the Shimmer. 

 


	12. Chapter 12

I find myself wanting to follow, knowing deep down she is right. But I cant with Ventress and the other guards watching. So I head back inside, where I find the other three and tell them. 

“So if shes here, then that means Zack could be alive too?” Ellie asks. Nicole shivers, “I wouldn't want to see what he’d look like.” ¨What did she say to you?¨ Parker questions me. ¨She's working with The Shimmer, she's a part of it now. Told me that its sending all those other freaks to try and get us.¨ 

 

Raised eyebrows all around, Ellie demanding to know what we should do. ¨Simple.¨ Says Nicole, ¨We leave. We go back, we finish our change.¨ All faces are on her now. ¨Have you lost your mind?!¨ I snarl, feathers puffed out in annoyance. Nicole blinks, dual sets of eyelids making a near inaudible squelch. ¨I don't see what the big deal is! We obviously don't belong here, we cant go home with how messed up we are, the only place we really belong now is out past that gate!¨ 

 

¨Then why don't you just go?!¨ I snap, causing her to flinch. ¨Whats gotten into you, Ray?¨ You've always been on my side!¨ Looming over the gorgon, my teeth part to allow a gutteral hiss, ¨What's gotten into me?! Are you fucking serious?!¨ I wave my arms about, ¨Look at him!¨ I point at Parker, then Ellie, ¨Look at her!¨ Jabbing a finger at my chest, ¨Look at me!¨ That's what the hell is wrong! Everything! Everything is wrong!¨ Stepping back now, I feel my eyes grow wet, ¨I want my life back! I want to be normal again! I want to go home!¨ Now the tears fall, my legs losing all strength as I sink to the floor, breath hitching, palms over eyes.

 

Warm hands, the tips of the fingers sharp, stroke my back before a  solid muscular mass presses itself to me. I look up into eyes the color of roses, into the face of Ellie, who coils her arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight embrace. ¨Its okay, I´m here. We´re all here.¨ She murmurs.  Another pair on one side of me, Parkers massive form like cuddling a grizzly bear. ¨I got ya, Brother. I´m with you.¨ He rumbles. But still, Nicole does not partake, leaving me even more saddened.

 

I lay awake that night, alone, bare bodied to allow the soft breeze coming from my rooms barred window to dry out my quills. I hear it before i see it, the soft rustle of leaves over dirt as Marias vines slink in. ¨What do you want?¨ I ask the pile of plant matter that rests next to me. ¨Just thought we could talk. I´ll leave if you want me to.¨ My head shakes, body twisted so I may face her, ¨No, stay. I want you to stay.¨ ¨How are you?¨ She whispers. ¨Been better, but somehow I've also been worse.¨ Reedy hisses, laughter. ¨I see you still have your sense of humor.¨ 

 

¨What about you? You've changed more than any of us.¨ A pause before I get an answer, ¨I….I´m not real sure. I mean, I still feel like me, I still think Im me, but at the same time, I know I´m not.¨ Another pause before she adds, ¨If that makes any sense.¨ I scoff, ¨In all honesty, what does?¨ Maria slinks closer, allowing me to make out the blooming flowers, some recognizable, such as Dragon Snappers, Others were Petunias, a few Buttercups. But most were strange blends, rainbow pattern, conglomerations, hybrids of different types. ¨Is Edward out there?¨ I question, to which the mass rocks from side to side. ¨No, he died before he was fully converted. Zack, not enough of his mind was absorbed to let him come back.¨ 

 

¨I´m not even gonna ask what the means.¨ Is what I reply with. She extends a tendril, tentative in her approach. ¨Go ahead¨ I say, and just like earlier,  she begins to stroke my limbs, finding every tense muscles and kneading them with master skill. ¨Oh Mary, how long has it been, since that fateful day?¨ I sigh as the talking shrub settles onto my chest. ¨Nearly a year, if I´m counting the sunrises right.¨ ¨Do you miss it, your old life?¨ Maria hums, mulling over her answer. ¨Yeah, not a single day goes by that I don't.¨

 

¨But?¨ I press, to which she answers, ¨But after everything that's happened, I look at my old life and just think of how bland it was. Boring, unsatisfying and mundane.¨ ¨No argument there.¨ I say as Maria ventures farther with her touch, continuing with what she was saying. ¨Änd it also didn't have you.¨ Raising a feathered brow, ¨Me?¨ She nods, bouncing up and down. ¨Eddy was a nice guy, smart and sweet. But he was weak, his brain over his body. And then there's Parker, same personality, but not all that bright. Brawn over mind. But then there's you, big and sweet, with a good head on your shoulders.¨ 

 

¨Aren't you the charmer?¨ I tease as she reaches lower, knowing full and well, and not caring in the slightest. ¨I´m full of surprises, wanna see ´ém?¨ I am not thinking, am not considering, all I want is to feel normal, in any way, for any length of time. And she does, intertwining with my form, stroking and kissing with soft petals, the smell of pine wood and clear forest air making my head spin. I, for one single moment of bliss, feel human again.


End file.
